How to choose a kid bike
Cycling is a fun and sports activity that is practiced at any age, and i's never too early to start! Do you want to offer a bike to your child -their very first bike- to teach them how to pedal or so that they can have fun with their friends and accompany you on a trip?
Here is a small guide to help you in your choice and find the best bike for your child according to his age, size and cravings.
The draisienne (balance bike) for the little ones
The draisienne is the ideal bike to begin with. Children of two years or older can discover the sensations on a bike thanks to the draisienne which allows to learn balance and motor coordination by pushing it with their feet to make it advance.
The draisiennes are aimed at children between two and five years old. There are even three-wheeled balance bikes on which children can learn to ride at the age of 18 months.
The draisiennes are usually made of wood, aluminum or steel. They're equipped with wide tyres to give good stability, with or without an inner tube (a tyre with an air chamber will dampen shocks better),an adjustable saddle height and a handlebar adaptable to your child's size. For adventurous enthusiasts, there are easy-to-use MTB draisiennes with wide studded tyres for 3-year old children and older.
Children's bike
The selection between city biking, mountain biking and BMX is so broad that everything will depend on your child's practice.
The first criterion to consider when choosing a bike is its size: it must match the child's height to make them perfectly comfortable and let them have fun. Choose a bike with an adjustable seatpost and handlebar to elevate them as your child grows up. The size of the bicycle is characterized by the size of the wheels: between 10 and 24 depending on the size of your child. Refer to our size guide to see all the age-size correspondences of the child-sized wheels.
The second criterion to take into account is the bike's material: it must indeed be solid and light to facilitate its manoeuvrability. Steel or aluminum are perfectly suitable.
The third criterion is the geometry of the frame: the lower it is, the easier it will be for the child to ride on the bike and the more stable it will be as they roll.
Bikes for children between the ages of 4 and 6 are most often sold with stabilizers that are disassembled when the child has learnt the right balance. For the more seasoned riders, there are even bikes with gears. For use in the city and to ride "like grown-ups", many children's bicycles are equipped with accessories: mudguard, basket, bell or luggage rack.
Mountain biking for children
For children who enjoy riding in the forest or in nature, go for a mountain bike. The geometry of the sports-friendly frame and the large studded tyres will allow them to enjoy good grip on muddy roads and circuits with uneven terrain. If they feel comfortable, a mountain bike equipped with gears will make it easier to climb slopes.
BMX for children
If your child wants to practice BMX and have fun in skate parks, make jumps and figures, he will need a bike suited for acrobatics. A BMX is a small, solid bike made to receive shocks following repeated jumps. It's equipped with a rotor to allow the handlebars to rotate 360 ° and pegs (small brackets fixed on the rear hub) to make figures.
